Tack puller and driver



A. ERICKSON.

TACK FULLER AND DRIVER.

- A 9. 1,410,801. Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

UNITED stares PATENT oFFics.

ANDREW ERICKSON, OF mvnneaovn, MINNESOTA.

TACK PULLER AND DRIVER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AND EW ERICKsON, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Invergrove, in the county of. Dakota and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement iii/Tack Pullers and-Drivers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates .toa tack puller,

holder and driver, the primary object of which is to provide means whereby tacks may be quickly and easily pulled, especially from freight cars, but may be similarly used wherever there is need for a device of this kind. a In the use of the ordinary freight box cars instruction cardsare usually tacked on the side of the same and after a car has been in use for a shorttime it will be found to be literally covered, so as to speak, with tacks at and about the place where the cards are usually tacked. Thus byproviding a suitable device forpulling, holding and driving a tack therailroads could save to alargeiextent the purchase of new tacks forthe-purpose of holding these cards and" the tacks now remaining m the carscould be readily used for this purpose.

A feature of my inventionis a spring means for. holding the tackwhich is about to bed-riven into a surface under spring tension with its headagainst an angular surface on the. driving head ofthe device in such a position that the ordinary stroke of the device to set the tack will allow the tack to be driven or set straight in place and simultaneously at the end ofthe stroke withdraw the tack from the spring holding means so that the device: can be quickly inserted and the hammer head used to drive thetack home. It is anessential feature to'hold the tack to the device under spring tension until'it is set to obviate the necessity ,ofone holding-thetack in their fingers while it is being driven into place and mydevice fully accomplishes this feature so that in cold weather when mittens arenecessary the tackscan beset and driven into place just as readily and in fact quicker, wlthout any danger to the fingers by the use of my device. The automatic releasing of. thetack at. the end of the natural down stroke of -my device is also very important inthe practical use of the same. i

In 'the drawings forming. part of this specification i Figure 1 is a side view of my device as it Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ma 28 1922 Application filed December 20, 19 19. Serial No. 346,229. I

approximately the end of the down stroke.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the hammer head and springtack holding claw, the handle portion of the device being broken away.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of an alternative construction of my device, llustrating the same in the act of withdrawinga tack.

The device consists of a hammer head A having a handle B formed of spring material and bent to form a hand. engaging loop 10 from which forwardly extends, in line with the handle B, a spring arm 11 having a tack receiving and holding claw 12.

The'spring arm 11 of the handle B holds the claw 12 under spring tension against the angular-1y disposed surface 13 extending from the surface 14 of the hammer head A. The sharp engaging ends of the claw 12 project slightly beyond the hammer head and suriace-l3 so as to be readily forced into engagement with the fiat head 15 of the ordinary tack 16. J

The loop 10. of the handle B is brought together at the forward end and isconnected by a spring'steel band 17, which assists in urging the spring arm 11 into contact with the surface 13 normally, I and also provides means for holding the spring arm 11* against lateral movement to causethe claw 12 to line up centrally with the surfaces 13 and 14 of the hammer head A at all times. vious that'the band '17 can be of any suitable spring material.

The hammer head driving surface -18, which is oppositely dis posed on the head to'the surfaces 13 and 14 and is for the purpose ofdriving the tack 16 into place after it has been set and automatically released from the claw l2.

In the use of my tack setting device the tack 1-6 is engaged by the claw 12 and held firmly in place with its flat head: 15 against the surface 13 by the spring arm 11, ready to be set in a card on a railroad 'boX car, or for any, other purpose. Theangular surface 13, together with thespring arm 11, holds the tack 16 atsuch an angle in relation to the handle'B that inthe: act ofthe down stroke 1 of the device to set the tack, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, pressure of the driving head A: is directed square against the flat head 15 to set the" tack straight upright and to automaticallyrelease the tack. setter and holder from the tack at the end of the down It is ob i A is formed with a the same'in'one complete'stroke. This could of the hammer head A can be used to'drive" the tack home. However, in many instances the tack will often be fully set in place and the ,device automatically withdrawn from only be accomplished by the-functions per: formed by the spring arm 11 in holding the tack under spring tension firmly in place while being set. a 1 The spring arm 11 in holding the tack is also essential in Withdrawing a tack, :as it tends to prevent the tack from slipping out of the claw 12 and immediately sets it in place against the surface 13 as it is withdrawn jThe alternative construction in Figure 3 illustrates theuhammer head A connected to the handle B while the spring arm 11 is held in. alinement with the handle B by the rivet 19, which extends through the portion 2() of the handle; B and freely through the spring arm 11. A. coil spring 21 is positioned to engage against the spring arm 11 and is held in place by thehead 22 formed on the rivet 19 to assist inurging the spring action of .the arm 11 to hold a tack under spring tension against the surface 13. Toprevent bending for breaking, and lZO'rZtSSlSt in withdrawing a tack, itisessential that the spring fas ,it would appear in the act of withdrawarm-llbe somewhat free to move away from the portion 20 ofthe handle B and particularly fior the'purpose of allowing. thehead 1501 the tack to beinsertedin the claw 12.

Thebolt orrivet 19 tends to hold the spring arm '1]. against lateral movement and thus holds the claw 12in alinement with the head or angular surface 13 of the hammer head A.

' iFigure 3 illustratesa portion of the device ing a tack, the arm 11 being shaped with an i outwardly curved portion-23, which bears against the surface from which the tack is I being withdrawn to form a fulcrum point 7 ,movingithe tack.- The shape of the outer curved portion 23'of the arm 11 does not interfere with the setting of the tack when held in the claw 12, owing particularly to the angularly disposed surface 13 and the downward stroke of-the device in setting the tack; -The'spr1ng arm 11. extends from and forms portion of the handle 10 and thus provides sufiicient resiliency to form a practical, inexpensive device.

In accordance 'withthe patent statutes i have described the principles of operation onlylillustrative and-that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied "drawn. I y,

4. tacksetter and puller comprising a "head, a handle secured atone end to'said head and extending outwardly therefrom, a loop-portion on said handle spreading-away ffrom the same at the looped end 'thereof and p returning towards said handle 'near the head, outwardly extending portion connected with said loop portion, having a claw adapted to engage one end of said head for holding the tack in place upon said head, said outwardly forming affulcrum'for'drawing a tack. 5.'"A tack setter and puller including a tack holding andpulling spring um, a striking head against which said claw "is adapted to be held under spring tension "when'the tack is being set and a shoulder for the handle which'serves as-a lever in reis used for pulling a tack.

' *8. A device. of the class set 'in the scope of the following claims:

1. A combined tack setter and puller comprising a head, a handle extending outwardly from said head, a tack engaging member formed integral with said handle, means on said head adapted to hold a tack against said tack engaging member and means formed on said tackengaging member for engaging the object from which a tack is drawn.

2. A device of the class described having a driving head, a handle having a spring arm with a claw on its free endadapted to hold a tack to the fa'ce'of said head'to set the tack when the device is swung to strike a blow, a shoulder formed on said claw {adapted to form a fulcrum point for-said arm in withdrawing a tack.

B. A combined tack setter and puller comprising a head, a looped handle secured .at

"one end to said head and formed at its other end with a tack engaging member, means on said head adapted tohold a tack against said tack en aging member and means formed on sai tack engaging member for engaging the object from which a tack is extending portion of said handle formed on said claw adapted to engage the striking head and'a shoulder formedonsaid claw arm adapted'to form a'ffulcru'm point for said arm in pulling a tack. a

7. A tacksetting and pulling device in eluding a tack holding spring arm having a claw,afstrikinghead and means for holding said arm in alinement with said head to hold the; tack rentrallyagainst the surface of said head to drive and; set the tack,- and 1 means on said claw for engaging the object froin which the tack'is (drawn {when the claw sat, including a striking head, a handle, a spring arm having a claw formed on its free end, a

shoulder formed on said claw adapted to form a fulcrum point for said arm in withdrawing a tack, means for holding said arm in alinement with said handle and striking head to cause the claw to aline itself with said head and springmeans adapted to urge the spring action of said arm in holding a tack in position under spring tension against said head.

9. A device of the class set forth comprising a head, a looped shaped handle secured at one end to said head, the other end thereof being bent away from said first end and caused to over-lap one end of said head, a claw formed on said over-lappin-g end and a hump formed on said second end adjacent said claw to serve as a fulcrum in removing a tack by means of said claw.

10. A combined tack setter and puller comprising a tack engaging member, a head adapted to hold a tack in place against said tack engaging member, a shoulder formed on said tack engaging member for removing a tack and a spring handle connecting said head and tack engaging member.

1L A combined tack setter and puller A comprising a head, a handle issuing outwardly from the central portion of said head at right angles thereto, said handle helng looped back upon itself to lie parallel with a portion thereof issuing immediately outon said last named portion and an inclined face formed on said head adapted to engage said inclined claw to hold the tack in place between the same. i

' ANDREW ERICKSON.

tending towards the head, a claw formed 

